DARPA working on low-cost robot hands, aims to make yours even more idle (video)

In a bid to crush those typically high robot-making costs, DARPA and its business partners (including iRobot) reckon they can now build high-end robot hands for under $3,000, down from what was once a $10,000 premium. According to The New York Times, the government, specifically the Pentagon, is looking to craft robot mitts that are able to detect improvised explosive devices by touch alone -- something that DARPA's worked on before. To demonstrate the progress it's made so far, the department's released a clip of one of its robots (update: featuring Barrett's WAM arms) stripping a car tire -- you'll find it after the break. Now it just needs to figure out how to get it back on to the wheel.